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Invasive cell migration is initiated by guided growth of long cellular extensions

Nature Cell Biology volume 4, pages 715–719 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

The migration of border cells during Drosophila melanogaster oogenesis is a simple and powerful system for studying invasive cell migration in vivo. Border cells are somatic cells that delaminate from the follicular epithelium of an egg chamber and invade the germ line cluster. They migrate between the nurse cells to reach the oocyte1,2, using DE-cadherin for adhesion to the substratum3. Border cells take approximately 6 h to migrate a distance of 100 μm4. The migration is guided by EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) and PVR (platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor)5,6. Here, we show that a single long cellular extension (LCE), several cell diameters in length, is formed at the initiation of migration. The LCE may function as a 'pathfinder' in response to guidance cues. LCE growth requires directional guidance signals and specific adhesion to the substratum. Interference with actin–myosin interactions allows continued LCE growth while preventing translocation of the cell bodies. We discuss similarities between LCEs and axons and the use of LCE-like structures as a general mechanism for initiating invasive migration in vivo.

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Figure 1: Long cellular extensions from border cells.
Figure 2: LCE formation requires non-uniform signalling from the guidance receptors, PVR and EGFR and DE-cadherin-dependent adhesion.
Figure 3: Inhibition of actin–myosin interaction uncouples LCE growth from translocation of border cell cluster.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to C. Wilson, A. González-Reyes, Y.N. Jan, S. Leevers, W. Lockwood and the Bloomington stock center for flies, to A.-M. Voie for embryo injections and to S. Cohen for comments on the manuscript. T.A.F. was supported by a pre-doctoral fellowship from Louis-Jeantet foundation.

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  1. European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, Heidelberg, 69117, Germany

    Tudor A. Fulga & Pernille Rørth

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  1. Tudor A. Fulga
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  2. Pernille Rørth
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Correspondence to Pernille Rørth.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary figure

Figure S1. PI3K and PTEN do not affect LCEs and border cell migration. (PDF 462 kb)

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Fulga, T., Rørth, P. Invasive cell migration is initiated by guided growth of long cellular extensions. Nat Cell Biol 4, 715–719 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb848

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